Simple things matter

We were born with two ears and one mouth for a reason, folks. If you're still struggling, check out Yahoo! Answers for some help.

The reason I raise this point results from a Q&A on The Freelance Survivor with seasoned tech reporter David Strom:

DEE-ANN LEBLANC: Can you give some examples of the problem, and how you handle it?

DAVID STROM: I try to be polite and tell them that their pitch isn't suitable. Or for Baseline Magazine, I ask them for customer references that I can quote in the story, that usually ends the email exchange pretty quickly because it means that the PR person has to work harder to find the right contact.

The most important skill for PR people is to LISTEN TO THE PRESS. Next is FOLLOW UP with real information. Take notes on con calls and then deliver the things that were promised. Less than a third of the PR people I talk to do all of these simple things. 

David is one of the best at his trade and has always been a pleasure with which to work.

To my PR colleagues, after reading the Q&A - LISTEN UP!

Comments

[David Strom]

Thanks for the kind words. And while you are listening to me, you might want to browse on over at mediablather.com, where Paul Gillin and I talk about PR issues involving new media once a week in our podcast series that has been running for nearly two years. -- David Strom